Here are some great resources to get you started—helping you think about what you need, scan the landscape of options, and take advantage of available member discounts. Technology Tools for Foundation Boards Software Solutions for Grantmaking Grant Tracking: Designing a System That Fits Your Foundation Going Paperless in a Small Foundation Office Idealware’s guide to... Read More
To avoid self-dealing, include the value of the laptop as part of the trustee’s compensation (and report it for tax purposes). The foundation may even “gross up” the trustee’s compensation to account for the income taxes the trustee would have to pay. If the laptop were used for foundation business 40 hours per week, you... Read More
When it comes to tackling important issues and moving the needle in the right direction, convening is a low-cost and high-impact tool. Here are examples of how and why your fellow funders convene their grantees: The Power of Convening Why We Convene Convening to Build Capacity Convenings and Other Ways to Bring Grantees Together: One... Read More
Our corporate partners offer special discounts for our members on grants management tools and other software and hardware. You may also be interested in member discounts on GuideStar products for conducting due diligence on current and potential grantees—or in our other many other member benefits. Read More
This list of annual to-dos for foundation boards is a great starting point. It includes actions that are legally required as well as those we recommend for Exponent Philanthropy members. The blog post Ten Ways to Move Your Philanthropy From Transactional to Transformational is another great read when thinking about how to spend the time,... Read More
When professional staff are in the mix, it can be hard to figure out the right role in grantmaking for foundation trustees. On one hand, trustees need to know enough about the grantmaking to oversee it and set strategic direction. On the other hand, stepping into grantmaking’s day-to-day minutiae can lead to the aforementioned headaches.... Read More